


“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

by yikesola



Series: fmdin2020 [8]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 2014, Established Relationship, M/M, cancer mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yikesola/pseuds/yikesola
Summary: Phil is pacing laps around the lounge. That’s usually Dan’s job. Dan is usually the pacer.A fic about nerves and news.
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Series: fmdin2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995946
Comments: 9
Kudos: 86





	“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

**Author's Note:**

> Fic Most Days in November, Dialogue Prompt: “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

“I hate waiting.”

Phil is pacing laps around the lounge. That’s usually Dan’s job. Dan is usually the pacer. Instead, Dan is sat on the sofa holding a throw pillow tight and watching Phil try to burn off even a little of his nervous energy. 

“I know, bub,” he says, as gently as he can manage. 

“I _hate_ it,” Phil says. It’s almost like he didn’t hear Dan at all. 

“I know,” Dan tries again. “They’ll call soon.” 

Phil stops by the fireplace and places his shaking hands on the mantle. He’s wound so tight that Dan is almost afraid he’ll snap and start fraying like an old jumper. And he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know how to tell Phil that everything will be okay without knowing he has no power to make a promise like that. 

“How’s your head?” Dan asks. Phil had a migraine the day before. It doesn’t help the nerves. It doesn’t help the static electricity in the air as they wait for word of how his dad is doing. 

Phil turns and looks at Dan like he’s confused about the question. “What?” he frowns. 

Dan leans for the glass of water set on the bookshelf almost an hour ago when Phil started getting jumpy. “Drink something. It’ll help your head.” 

“My head’s fine.” Phil starts pacing again. Dan sets the glass back on the shelf. 

His phone vibrating on the mantelpiece makes such a horrible sound that they both jump. Phil takes two long steps and picks up the call. “Mum?” he says in a cracked voice. 

Dan can’t hear Kath on the line. He would normally badger Phil into putting the call on speaker. He wants to know how Nigel is doing too. Maybe not in the same way. But he loves the man who welcomed him into his weird and warm family years ago when he was just a scrawny loudmouth from down south head over heels for his son. 

“Mm-hmm,” Phil says. There are tears in his eyes. They slip past his glasses and down his cheeks. Dan doesn’t trust them though, knows that they’re just the tears of relief from hearing his mum’s voice. “Yeah…” he says, stepping to the sofa and landing beside Dan. 

He tilts his head onto Dan’s shoulder. Dan wraps his arm around Phil and pulls him closer. He feels the damp patch growing on his shirt. 

Phil says, “Wait,” and lifts the phone from his ear, and crumbles further into Dan’s hold. 

Dan takes the phone. “Kath,” he says, “Hey, I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” 

“Oh, Dan, good,” he hears her say. It sounds windy where she is. Dan thinks she must’ve stepped into the car park. “He’s worn out, but doing fine. Sleeping. The treatment is over, his vitals are good, and I guess they’ll know more in the morning about whether it took the way they want. But as of right now, didn’t seem to hurt him any more than… you know…” she sighs. “Expected.” 

“Great,” Dan says. It doesn’t feel great. But it also doesn’t seem to be the dreaded sort of call they’ve feared for months might come. “Right? This is good?” 

“It’s as good as I’m willing to ask for,” Kath says. She lets out a shaking laugh which sounds so familiar to Dan. He’s heard Phil laugh that same relieved way a million times. 

“Great,” Dan says again, a little more sure this time. Phil pulls his legs up onto the sofa and curls a little more comfortably. He asks if they’ll be able to talk to Nigel later and Kath isn’t quite sure but says she’ll text to let them know. Phil takes the phone back before she hangs up to say goodbye. The phone is set on the bookshelf beside the undrunk glass of water. 

The static electricity is gone. It was liquified with Phil’s tears and snot and wiped onto the sleeve of Dan’s stupidly expensive doberman shirt. It feels like they can breathe again. 

Dan pushes Phil’s fringe off his forehead and presses his lips to the clammy skin. “Alright?” he asks. 

“Yeah,” Phil says. He tilts his head and kisses Dan proper. “Hanging in there.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading— come say hi on [tumblr](http://yikesola.tumblr.com/post/635343771271397376/im-sorry-can-you-repeat-that) !


End file.
